Baker, Bowman Among 5 Penn State Players To Miss Alamo Bowl

Charged with assault in connection with a campus fight

Dec. 26, 2007

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Two Penn State players charged with assault in connection with a campus fight will miss the Alamo Bowl.

Saturday's game against Texas A&M will be the second straight for the Nittany Lions without starting defensive tackle Chris Baker and backup linebacker Navorro Bowman, who also missed the regular-season finale Nov. 17 against Michigan State.

They are two of five Penn State defensive players who did not travel to San Antonio.

Baker and Bowman are scheduled to stand trial this spring on misdemeanor charges after police said they beat up a man at a fraternity party Oct. 7 at the campus student union. A judge earlier dismissed felony assault charges against them, but prosecutors refiled those counts last week.

Backup cornerback and special teams ace Knowledge Timmons will also miss his second consecutive game. Timmons faces misdemeanor charges in an incident directly after the fight.

Penn State coach Joe Paterno said two weeks ago that the three would travel to Texas, but a school official said Wednesday they did not make the trip. Offensive coordinator Galen Hall declined comment at a news conference at the Alamodome on Wednesday, referring questions to Paterno.

Also not making the trip was backup cornerback Willie Harriott, who was charged with driving drunk on Nov. 11. Harriott had also been suspended by Paterno a few games earlier this season after university police cited him on a count of underage drinking.

Backup defensive tackle Tom McEowen also did not make the trip for undisclosed reasons.